Machine for producing flickerless moving pictures.



L. L. 'I'HURSTONE. MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FLIOKEBLESS MOVING PICTURES.

APPLIQLTIGH FILED KAY 20,1909.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

anuzntoz aka/ , L. L. THURSTONE. HAGHIRE FOR PRODUCING FLIGKEBLBSB MOVING PICTURES;

.LPPLIQATIDI FILED [AI 20, 1909. 'Q82,90-'- 1, 4 Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MWw at L. L. THURSTONE. MACHINE FOB. PBODUGING FLIGKBBLESS MOVING PIGTUBBSL m m w h k APPLICATION FILED HAY 20, 1909.

a T E E H H T E B K s 4 oentoz L. L. THURSTONE.

IMJHIRE FOR PRODUCING PLIGKERLESS MOVING PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED IA! 20, 1909. 982,904.

Patented Jan 31', 1911.

4 SHEETS-811KB! 4.

new and useful Machine for Producing' Flickerless Moving Pictures, o-fuvhlchithe LOUIS 1.. rnons'ronn, on Jaiuns'rown, NEWYORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I MACHI E FOR PRODUCI FLIoKERLnss movme PICTURES.

, r Application filed May 20,1909. Serial No. 457,147.

To all whom it may concern mBe it known that I, L'orns L'noN Tinnis'roxn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, county vof Chautauqua;

and State of New York, have invented a 1 following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear,

and exact description.

Theinvention relates to machines for pro-- ject ng movlng pictures and 1s an improvement upon my former moving picture mechanism, as shown inniy application, Serial'h umber 166,988; and the object of the present improvement is to provide, first, a shutterless moving picture mechanism which more perfectly projects the movin pictures upon the screen second, to provi e mecha-- msm to reduce the VlblfitlOIl 1n the moving pictures by providing a rotary instead. of an intermittent reflectmg mecl1an1sm,-wh1ch rotary mechanism allows an absolutely uniform movement-of the film instead of the usual intermittent movement, thereby greatly reducing the wear. upon the film perforations and providing an absolutely lliekerless living picture on the screen by which the projection of the continuously anoving filni is accomplished. Fig. 3" is a making the picture continuous instead of intermittentsevery point of the picture on the screen biting continuously illuminated.

by its particular detail of the picture.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of the lamp house showing the arrangement. of the projecting mechanism. Fig. 2 isa diagram showing the manner in plan view of a portion of an ordinary picture tlhn record. Flg. 4 1s a perspective view of the film guide showing the arrang Q mentand construction of the same with the central opening through which the pictures are projected; and Fig. 5 is a crosswise sectional view of the film guide with the film therein. Fig.6 i's a side elevation partly in sectiomthe. mirrors at line- X X in Fig.

9 showing the arrangement ofcthe revolving mirrors and the mechanism for revolving the same. Fig. 7 '1s a side elevation showing the supports for the revolving mirrors. as they incline toward one another and showing the slot cams enc1rcl1n each ofsaid supports which cams give tie axial movement to" the revolving mirrorsq Fig. '8 is a plan new of the cylindrical cap and bevel ends 61 opposite the rolls 13 and let.

gear showing the support forthemirrors. Fig. 9. is'a' plan view of the three sector shaped mirrors which are revo ved upon dilferent planes by the samemecnanisnu Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

Patented an. 31 191 The numeral 10 indicates the continuous picture film which has the spaced perforations 11 along the edge for the purpose of engaging the film cogs 12 on the rolls 13 and 14; for uniformly movingsaid film from one roll to the other. 'A thin fiat tubular guide 599 is made, as shown in Fig. lfor film 10 to pass through. The ends curve toward the rolls 13 and 14,;the length of the guide '59 beil'ig'suiticicnt to placcthe op gn e edges 62 of tube 59 are contracted so as to fit fairly closely upon the edges of the film 10 vet allowing said film edges to slide through: while the sides of the central por- ,ti'on 63 of the tube are sufliciently far apart .to preclude the possibility of the central ,80

picture portion 64 of the film 10 ever comlng incontact with the inner sides of the guide 59. It is apparent that should the picture portion 64. ever rub against the side of the guide it would scratch the pictures and ruin the film. Accordingl the contracted edges 62 are arrange centrally lengthwise and fit so closely on to the edges of the film 10 that the central portion 64 will never be in danger of marring. An opening 65 is provided in the center of guide 59 through which the pictures are projected, and preferably extending over more than two pictures.

The numeral 15 indicate'sa box or lamp house which has suitable supports. A light,

;preferably an are light 16 is adjustably mounted on asupport 17. Lenses 18 for condensing and forrendering the rays from light 16 parallel are supported in suitable support-s Within box 15 so that the light from the arclight' 16 passes through said "lenses.

Film 10 passes through box 15before said lenses in guide 59 so. that said light passes through said film to a stationary mirror or forty-five degree prism '19. The light is then reflectedfrommirror 19 into the revolubly mounted mirrors 20 and by mirrors 20 into the opposite angled revolubly mount ed mirrors 21 and from said mirrors into the stationary mirror or prism 22 and thence out through objectives 23 to the screen.

It is apparent that in order to allow a.

uniform movement of the film andproi'ect an absolutely flickerless single rayfrom ight 16'through aseries of pictures, it is essential that thedeflectin'g mirrors shall be placedupon difl'erent planes and move from one plane to another, in order ,to accomplish this pr0jectionthe rotatable mirrors 20 and 21 are provided for this purpose, and

the rotating mirror mechanism is arranged in the following manner Afirm base 24 is attached to the bottom of-box 15 upon which a tubular pair of brackets25 and 26 are at tached by means of suitable screw bolts, which brackets incline toward one another at an angle of ninety degrees A tubular cam head 27 is securely fastenedby a suitable key 28 within bracket 25, which tubularhead has the cam slot 29 extending around the same. A'cylindrical cap or outer casing 30 is revolubly mounted on the outer'end of cam head 27, preferably by means of suitableball-bearings 31. A ring 32has a retaining nut 33 and a "raceway on its upper end, being screwed into the lower 'end of ca 30 which arrangement provides for the a justmentof both of the. ball-bearings.

Cap 30 is revolvedby' means of a-shaft 34,

whlch extends up through plate 24 and tubular cam head- 27 to cap. 30. The lower end of shaft 34 has'a'bevel gear 35, which meshes in bevel gear 36, which" bevel gear 36 is revolved by meansof crank 37, and suitable means for applying i'p'ower thereto. The

outer end of cap-30 supportsa ring 38 which has thereon a bevel gear 39; Ring 38 is mounted upon the .outer end of ca 30 by Y means of arms 40 at suitable distances.

Within ring 38 the sector shaped mirrors 41, 42, and 43 are; mounted upon suitable threaded rods 44 which rods, are adjustable by screwthreads in the upper end of cap 30 in holes 45, as shown in Fig.3,there being.

six of the rods 44, thus allowing two rods for the support of each of the three sector shaped mirrors. This arrangement of rods 44 allows of an exact adjustment of both j'of the. supporting rods-44' for each mirror so that its exact angle may be adjusted. It 1 is-apparent that the three mirrors will be fixed in their positions within ring 38-upon .cap'30 and .will turn with the said cap and that the light will be reflected consecutively from one to another in the mannerhereinafter. set forth;

Cylindrical .caps 30 therein a slot pin 47 which is constructed as follows:Aplate 48 is provided which ex-.

tends from. one bolt 44 to the adjacent bolt on opposite sidesof slot '46 and is clamped thereto by /means of a suitable clamping piece 49- and screw- 'bolts' 50.. The posts 44 of-each individual mirror are'slidingl held in avcap 30 and. connected together y the bar or plate 48. Plate 48'has a hole through V .slot pin 47 and is secured thereto by 52 upon and. 53,".. each have lengthwlse slot 46 in one side to receive 1 23 and-then to thescr'een.

its center to receive the threaded end' of suitable nut. The inner end of pin 47 is provided with a revolubly mounted roller 51,

which is adjusted by means of an end screw I pin 47 so as to take up the wear'in slot'29. I a

A similar triple set of sector shaped mirrors 41, 42, and .43 are'provided in the opp'osite' revoluble reflector 21. Reflector 21 s constructed exactly similar to reflector 2O head 58 is not necessarily tubular as head 27 since mirror 56 is turnedbv .the bevel .gears39 and 57 so that shaft 34 turns both mirrors. v

' The operation of the projecting mechanism is as follows: The light is projected as hereinbefore described and the action of the reflecting mirrors is shown.iu the diagraln'in Fig. 2. Their-opcratlon' consists in the revolution of theshaft 34 by means of gear 36 and crank 37 whiclf shaft turns'cylindrical cap 30 around the slot cam head 27 the slot cam head 27 being stationary, the mirrors will begiven asIi'ght axial movement as. they are rotated around the cam, the latter being computed fromthe size of the picturesused, the radius of the mirror employed and the number of mirrors on each shaft. The revolution of cap 30 turns gear 39 which revolves gear-57 on the similarcap 53 on vthe slot cam head 58.- The preferable size of each picture' on the film .10 is about three-fourthsinch high and one {inch wide, the central ray from the picture, is represented by the line b. This raylis r'efiected in the large mirror or forty-five degree prism 19 in the plane g. Mirror 19 extends vertically over about two and one-half pictures. After being reflected in the mirror'19 the plane 9, the ray 6 continuesin a downward vertical path to a segment of a the revoluble mirror 20 in the plane e where" y it .is again reflected to a horizontal path meeting the opposite se ment of the revolu- L ble mirror 21 in the p ane 'e". which a ain reflects it to a vertical path andfinally 1t is reflected in the mirror or prism 22 in the plane it to a horizontal path t0v theobjcctive moves vertically downward at a uniform speed and the mirror in the plane 0 moves in the slot cam in the direction of the arrow along the axis '5 of shaft 34,; thenrirror' e moves in the direction of the arrowj along "the axis i The magnitude of the move- -ment of thetwo mirrors-e and e is'the same in equal intervals of time, and is such that I when the film moves uniformly downward a distance k, the'planes of the mirrors 6 and e are shifted a distance in the direction shown by the arrows. The result of this is, that when the film has moved downward adistance k as shown 'in thedrawmg the central rayli 1S reflected I inthemirrors in planes 9 and e and e, the

latter two having moved to the planes (1 and II respectively in such a manner as to be re fiected continually in the same pointin the mirror h and to constantly occupy the same final direction and position when reaching the Objective. The same is true of the rays from theedges of the picturewhich are represented b letters a a, 0' c res ectivel y P Y It is evident that owing to this movement of the mirrors iirplanes'e and e the finally projected picture will appear absolutely stationary in spite of the fact that the film is continuallyin uniform movement.

It is natural that when one set of mirrors iii-planes c and e have moved axially a suitable distance reflecting one picture, it is necessary to havea second set of mirrors to reflect a new picture to the "screen; This second set ofnnrro'rs must enter the beam of light at an elevation identical with .the

starting point .of the first set of mirrors. Thisis accomplished by withdrawing the mirrors-sin planesj d and d laterally, and simultaneously introducing, inv a direction perpendicular toth'e plane of the paper, a second set of mirrors which enter tof light. in the planes 0 and e and are-moved through the same planes and ina manner corresponding to the preceding setof mirrors. hen each'pa ir of-mirrors has re- .flected its picture from the film it has moved tothe planes (1 and d 'inwhich planes the last edges of the mirrors leaveth'e beam. It

j is evident that the lateral Eperpendicularto the paper.) flniovement, an

t'lieaxial (an rows j and j) movement take place simultaneously and not successivel which might I be supposed. The method 0 accomplishing this movement of the mirrors is to mount each of the revolving mirror heads 20 and 21, are constantly. passing into and out ofthe thre'e'mirrors on each oftwo cam heads'27 and 58, to revolve the-mirrors about, their respective axes 'i and z" an'dthus accomplish the lateral movement, the axial movement being accomplished by means of two cams.

.It should always be understood that the three mirrors 41, 42and 43 which make up beam or beams oflightand that only one of said segments or m1rrors41, 42 or 4 3 is'in the path'of light at the same instant-except dividin line between the two mirrors. This it will e recognized is only for an instant as the beampasses from one to the other. It is therefore apparent that the segments of the mirrors, as, for example 41 of each of the mirror heads 20 and 21, are simultaneously in the beam of light and that itwo pairs of mirrors in said mirror heads 20 and 21 are always out of thepath of the'beamof light,

when the beam of light is exactly on the except, as above stated,- when one pair 1s rotatable means for moving said mirror-s into and out of the path of said beam of light.

3. In a device of the'character described, means for producing a beam of light, a reflector in the path of said beam of light comprising plane mirrors having different elevations with respect to each other, and rotatable means for moving said mirrors into andout of said beam of light.

4. In a device of the character described, a slotted cam "head, a reflector rotatably mounted onsaid slotted cam head, "and means for turning said reflecto'rj 5. In a device of the character described,

slot-ted cam heads angularly placed with respect to each other, reflectors rotatably mounted on each of said slotted cam heads,

and means for rotatably moving said reflec-'- tors on said cam heads- 6..In a device of the character described,

slotted cam heads inclined. toward one an other, compound reflectors rotatably mount V ed on each of 'said'slotted cam heads, internieshing gear teeth on said reflectors, and means for;turn1ng said reflectors.

7. In a device of the character described, I

a tubular bracket, a slotted cam head adjustably mounted in said tubular bracket, a ca rotatably mounted on said slotted cam hea a roll on said cap engaging said slotted cam, sector shaped mirrors on said cap, and means for rotatably. moving said cap on said cam head; r

8. In a device of the character described,

a tubular bracket, a slotted cam head adjustably mounted in said tubular bracket, a cap 7 rotatably mounted on said slotted cam hea a roll on said cap engaging said slotted cam, screw rods on said cap, sector shaped mirrors adjustably mounted on said screw rods, and

means for turning said cap on said cam head, i

substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a device of the character described,

' a tubular bracket, a tubular slotted cam head adjustably mounted in said tubular bracket,- a cap ro'tatab ly mounted on said slotted cam head, a roll on said cap engaging said slotted cam, screw rods on said cap, sectorshaped mirrors adjustably'mounted on said screw rods, a shaft extending up throughsaid base and tubular slotted cam head to-turn said cap, and gearing and a crank for turning said shaft-,substantially as and for the purpose specified. 1

'10. In a device of the character described, a base, a tubular pair of brackets inclined toward one another and attached to said mounted in said caps, mirrors mounted on said threaded. rods on said caps, 'intermeshingbeveled gears on said caps, and suitable means for turning one of said caps, substantiall 'y as'and ior thev purpose specified.

In man-way whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

p L. L. THURSTONE.

Witnesses: v

JARED T. NEWMAN, FLORA M. HARNEY. 

